Residents Disturbed as Migrant Shelter Turns Neighborhood into ‘Fight Club,’ Neighbors Say

By: Hal C Clarke

Since January, residents of a Queens apartment building have faced relentless disturbances after a 128-room hotel in Long Island City was converted into a city-run migrant shelter, according to an exclusive report by the New York Post.

The once-quiet neighborhood has become a nightly battleground, with children from the shelter gathering in large, unsupervised groups outside the building at 911 44th Drive.

From 8 p.m. until well past midnight, these children engage in loud, chaotic behavior—fighting, chasing each other, and screaming—disrupting the peace and sleep of nearby residents. One neighbor, who has lived in the building since 2011, described the scene as something out of “Fight Club,” recounting how kids are often seen squaring off and even choking each other. “Sometimes, the guards will come out and break it up. But I’ve also seen them do nothing,” the resident told The Post.

The situation reached a disturbing peak when a group of teenagers, aged between 12 and 14, were seen beating up a child no older than 8, kicking him in the head after forcing him onto the sidewalk. Videos provided to The Post show teens screaming and fighting outside the shelter’s main entrance, with some of the shelter’s security guards either standing by or, shockingly, encouraging the violence.

In one particularly unsettling video, a larger boy places a much smaller boy in a headlock, eventually dropping him to the ground like a professional wrestler. Other footage shows kids playing on skateboards late at night, with security guards sometimes joining in the chase. For residents trying to get some rest, the noise is unbearable. “Because of the way the children scream and shriek, it pierces through everything,” said one resident, who wished to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation. He added that since April, the noise has become a nightly ordeal.

“I have nothing against migrants, but to have to listen to this every night, unable to sleep, it’s becoming unbearable,” he continued, noting the toll it has taken on his health. The man suffers from an autoimmune disorder that is usually manageable with proper sleep and diet, but the constant disturbances have left him feeling weaker than usual.

Luiza Cabrera, a 25-year-old interior design student, frequently passes the shelter in the evenings and is equally disturbed by the scenes she witnesses. “It’s disturbing to see that kind of thing every night, and some of these kids are really just defenseless,” she said. “Where are the parents? Why is no one watching these kids?”

The nightly chaos has led to 17 complaints to 311 since June, but residents say little has changed. The former Wyndham Garden, now a Department of Homeless Services-run shelter, is situated in a largely industrial area across the street from a Department of Education administration building. Last November, the hotel was sold to Long Island-based Bayrock Capital for nearly $24 million.

Residents have reached out to Councilwoman Julie Won’s office, but they claim that the Department of Homeless Services has done little to address their concerns.

A Department of Social Services spokesperson declined to confirm that the former hotel is now a shelter, citing the need to protect the privacy of vulnerable New Yorkers. The frustrated neighbor summed up the community’s sentiments: “I don’t care who you are or where you come from, but be a good neighbor.”